Nucrioburg Board of Film Classification
The Nucrioburg Board of Film Classification (commonly abbreviated as the NBFC) is a statutory organisation which assigns ratings to films, television shows, video works and video games in the fictional country of Nucrioburg. The board was formed in 1976, after concerns were raised regarding various motion pictures which contained content potentially inappropriate for younger viewers. Any media classified by the NBFC is assigned one of seven ratings based on elements such as violence, sexual content and coarse language. The rating scheme is loosely based of that used by the real-life British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). By law, specifically under the Media Act 1976, all films, television programs, video works and video games must be classified by the board before being sold, exhibited or broadcasted within Nucrioburg, and consumer advice regarding any offensive or inappropriate content must be displayed clearly. History In 1976, in response to much controversy, the Nucrioburg government passed the Media Act 1976, which resulted in the formation of the Nucrioburg Board of Film Classification. At first, the ratings only applied to theatrical exhibition of films, but the board extended their classification process to home video in 1980, television in 1992 and video games in 1996. At the time of inception, the rating system had only three tiers. These were: * G''' (Suitable for General Audiences) * '''M (Suitable for Mature Audiences) * X '(Restricted to Audiences 16 and Over) The PG rating was introduced in 1980, intended to be applied to films that were "suitable for a general audience but may contain some elements not suitable for younger children". In 1983, the board adopted the motto "we seek to inform, not to censor" in order to "reflect our intentions clearly and to distance the concept of classification from censorship", which is still in use to this day. In 1987, the X rating had its age restriction raised from 16 to 18 in response to community pressure. In 1994, a major reform of the rating system was conducted after multiple surveys were conducted by the board in regards to the guidelines at the time. This is done in response to increasing complaints that the M rating was "too vague", and that the range of content accepted under this classification was too broad. The controversial M was retired, and instead two new advisory categories were introduced: 15 and 18. The reform also brought forward the content descriptors which are used to supplement every rating decision. Displaying these alongside the rating in a cinema or on a DVD box became mandatory. The changes were met with much satisfaction. 2001 brought about the inception of the 12 rating. This was caused by another bout of controversy within the Nucrioburg film industry: some films could not be accommodated within the guidelines of the PG rating but lacked the strong content needed for a 15, which led to several films gaining "unfair" ratings. After the 12 was introduced, multiple PG and 15 films were reclassified to fit the new guidelines. In 2005, the NBFC began conducting research into public opinion on the board, its operations, and other aspects of media, including views on classification, age-appropriate material and classifiable elements (i.e. media violence) throughout the population of Nucrioburg. These options have been taken into consideration whenever revisions are made to the rating guidelines. Since that same year, the results of said surveys have been publicly uploaded on the board's official website. In 2017, the advisory 15 category was split into two new ratings, 14 and 16. Since then, no new ratings have been introduced. Rating System This table details the ratings currently in use, as well as their meanings and the guidelines in regards to classifiable elements. Additionally, the Nucrioburg Board of Film Classification reserves the right to refuse to classify a work, effectively banning it in the country. It is illegal to possess, buy, sell, hire or publicly exhibit "refused classification" material, and this can be punished by heavy fines, or in some cases, a jail sentence. Such works either exceed the guidelines of the X rating or contain illegal content. These include detailed instructions or promotion of crime, terrorism and violence, gratuitous and exploitative depictions or glamorisation of sadistic or sexual violence and depictions of child sexual abuse. While all of the categories, excluding X, are completely advisory, some cinemas or video stores will not allow persons under the specified age to view or purchase such content without adult accompaniment. This decision, while not officially supported by the NBFC, is up to the discretion of the individual venue. Content Descriptors Content descriptors are given as a supplement to a rating decision and are intended to highlight any potentially harmful or inappropriate content within a title. Descriptors usually have an adjective applied to them, either describing the intensity (mild, moderate, strong etc.) or frequency (brief, occasional etc.) of a classifiable element. An example of a rating paired with descriptors would be "12 - Moderate violence and infrequent coarse language".'' * Violence * Horror or threat * Coarse language * Sexual content * Nudity * Drug use * Mature themes ''*UNDER CONSTRUCTION*'' The NBFC and Television The NBFC rating scheme was first introduced to television on March 1, 1992, as part of the newly drafted Television and Broadcasts Act 1992. The act outlined the guidelines for appropriate content on television, as well as the legal requirements surrounding these. Before a program rated PG or higher begins, it is mandatory for a short notice to be given beforehand, which details the rating of the program as well as the consumer advice. After advertisement breaks, it is also legally required for the rating to appear in the top-right corner for 5-10 seconds once the program begin again, paired with a supplementary single-letter code for each classifiable element present, similarly to the real life TV Parental Guidelines in the United States of America. These letters are also present alongside the rating in television guides, both printed and online. The lettering system is as follows: *'''D - Drug misuse *'H '- Horror elements *'L' - Coarse language *'N '- Nudity *'S' - Sexual content *'T' - Mature thematic elements *'V '- Violence For example, a particular film's rating might be listed in a television guide or on screen as "16-HLV", meaning that it is a 16 rated film containing strong horror, violence and language. Additionally, on television, there is an additional C '''rating, which is used to denote programs that are especially aimed at young children, as opposed to G rated content, which is suitable for all audiences content-wise but might not be of interest to children (i.e. nature documentaries). This is usually given a pink or purple symbol. While use of this rating is a common convention on most networks, it is not officially recognised by the NBFC. In order to shield younger viewers from potentially harmful content, a multiple-tier watershed system is used. The times where each rating is permitted are as follows: *'''G and PG rated programs can be aired at any time of day *'12' rated programs can only be aired between 20:00 and 06:00 *'14' rated programs can only be aired between 21:00 and 06:00 *'16 '''rated programs can only be aired between 22:00 and 06:00 *'18''' rated programs can only be aired between 23:00 and 06:00 *'X' rated programs can only be aired on specific licensed channels Criticisms and Controversies *UNDER CONSTRUCTION* Category:Film ratings Category:TV ratings Category:Fictional Category:Video game ratings Category:7 tiers